The Bethel College softball team still has a lot of growing to do.?The second-year team hosted Nebraska Wesleyan Tuesday afternoon at Kelsch Field in the Threshers’ home opener, but the visiting Prairie Wolves took advantage of Bethel’s youthful mistakes for a sweep.?Wesleyan won the first game 19-4 in five innings on the eight-run rule. Wesleyan won the second game 14-2 in six innings.?In the first game, Bethel’s pitchers struggled with walks. The second game was marred by errors, which led to a nine-run sixth inning.?“We’re young and we’re getting better, but that’s not an excuse,” Bethel coach Stacy Middleton said. “We have improved a lot. We have been working hard in practices. It didn’t show tonight. But in the previous tournament we played in, we played so much better.”?Friday at the McPherson Invitational, Bethel lost a one-run game and a two-run game, but won its first game of the season by shutout.?“Our pitchers struggled this evening,” Middleton said. “I’m not sure if that was because of the weather. Lakin (Thompkins) pitched well in the second game, but we didn’t have a lot of support behind her.”?Eight walks in the first two innings of the first game led to 13 Nebraska Wesleyan runs. Jessica Weingarten had a three-run double in the first inning. Sarah Hove hit a two-run home run in the second inning.?Bethel came back with four singles in the bottom of the second to score two runs.?With two outs in the top of the third inning, Megan Tieken hit a three-run home run. Mary Sheridan answered with a two-run single in the bottom of the third. Wesleyan added three more runs in the fourth inning and held Bethel scoreless the rest of the way.?Wesleyan pitcher Megan Cottier went the distance for the win, striking out five. Rachel Kubik went three for four hitting. Tieken and Weingarten each had two hits.?Kelly Toll took the loss for Bethel. Rachel Unruh closed the game, striking out three in two innings.?In the nightcap, Wesleyan used three hits in the top of the first to score two runs. Wesleyan added two more runs in the second inning. A two-out error in the top of the third led to another Wesleyan run. A pair of errors in the sixth inning led to nine runs for NWU. Just one run in the inning was earned.?Bethel had three hits and a walk in the bottom of the sixth to score two runs and break the shutout.?Thompson took the loss for Bethel, allowing five earned runs on 16 hits with three walks and five strikeouts. Eight hits came in the sixth inning. Cottier pitched for the complete-game win in the second game, allowing two runs on six hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Betsy Reimer, Kubik, Weingarten and Kassie Knauss each had three hits for NWU, 4-1.?Bethel falls to 1-7. Bethel plays McPherson, Sterling and Tabor Saturday at the Sterling Invitational at the Fun Valley Sports Complex in Hutchinson. Bethel’s first game is 10 a.m. Bethel opens conference play at 4 p.m. March 26 at Kelsch Field against McPherson.?“We’ve had a couple of injuries in the outfield that have hurt us,” Middleton said. “I’m excited about what the future holds. We’re getting better day-by-day. We should be good by the time conference begins.”